Richard the third is cruel, manipulative, cold hearted and corrupt; however we really ought to mention his bad aspects.

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Mufadal Jiwaji – 10T                6/10/2002

Richard the third is cruel, manipulative, cold hearted and corrupt; however we really ought to mention his bad aspects. Richard the third displays all of the qualities of a true ‘baddie’ yet he still succeeds in providing the audience with great entertainment and humour. The way he forces the audience to be co-conspirators partly by using clever soliloquies, which are directed specifically to include the audience in his plans but also by showing the audience full spectrum of his roles, he succeeds in appearing to be a kind hearted man, bidding his brother farewell in one seen and in another plotting his death.

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One key thing to note when Richard addresses the audience is the great humour he uses. He is able to laugh at the death of his two nephews and is intrigued to know more, he also takes it upon him to marry the women whose husband and father he had murdered. He thinks of it as a challenge and when he addresses the audience in act I scene 1,

‘…I’ll marry Warwick’s youngest daughter.

What though I killed her husband and her father?

The readiest way to make the wench amends

Is to become her husband and her ...

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